Pivoted cabinet structure

ABSTRACT

Combined hinging and adjusting means pivotally mounting a shelflike support member within a cabinet with freedom for swinging movements between a retracted position, generally flush with the cabinet, and an operative position extending at least partially from the cabinet, said combined means affording three-dimensional adjustment of said support member to provide for proper alignment of the cabinet and member. Internally threaded means, specifically T-nuts, are associated with confronting wall portions of the support member and the cabinet, certain of said means being relatively movable with respect to said support member in a plane transverse the axis of pivotation.

United States Patent 11 1 Catinella PIVOTED CABINET STRUCTURE Joseph S. Catinella, Philadelphia, Pa.

Philco-Ford Corporation, Blue Bell, Pa.

Filed: Aug. 22, 1972 Appl. No.: 282,849

Inventor:

Assignee:

[52] US. Cl 312/8, 312/248, 312/329 [51] Int. Cl. ..Gl1b 1/00 [58] Field of Search 312/8, 11, 248, 251, 312/315, 326-329; 108/139; 248/224, 240.1,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1969 Tateishi 312/8 Ammon 3 12/8 Meyer 274/23 1451 Sept. 4, 1973 Primary ExaminerCasmir A. Nunberg AttorneyRobert D. Sanborn and Carl H. Synnestvedt [57] ABSTRACT Combined hinging and adjusting means pivotally 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDMP 4m lllll i ii PIVOTED CABINET STRUCTURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the attachment of certain support members within a cabinet, for example the shelf which supports a record changer of the so-called tilt-down type, means is provided to pivot the shelf between a horizontal play position and a storage position in which the shelf lies generally in the plane of the front of the cabinet and substantially closes the same. Constructions characteristic of the prior art require that the pivot be very accurately placed and properly registered with respect to the stationary cabinet and movable member. Due to tolerances encountered in manufacture this requirement may result in hinges which tend to bind, and in other difficulties which complicate the assembly and consequently increase the cost of the apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes these difficulties by permitting loose tolerances on certain of the mating parts and utilizing threaded bolts, as the pivots, in such manner that rotation of the bolts provides for adjustment of the shelf in a direction parallel to the axis of pivotation, whereby properly to center the shelf with respect to the cabinet, and relative movement between the shelf and the bolts is utilized to adjust the shelf in a direction transverse the axis of pivotation, whereby to eliminate cocking of the shelf within the cabinet.

The advantages of my improved construction can be summarized as follows:

The confronting pivot-receiving openings in the cabinet and the shelf member are not critical in size or spacing, thus there is no need for special means to position the mating parts.

Once the lateral gaps are set, between the shelf and the cabinet, and the front of the shelf is properly aligned with the face of the cabinet, there is no need for spacersor friction devices.

The degree of fit between a commercially available bolt and nut is all that is' required to hold the parts firmly, without undesired play, while yet permitting the shelf to rotate freely about its pivot.

Arranging one pivot bolt to turn clockwise and the other counterclockwise, as the shelf rotates, prevents binding in the pivot,

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. '1 is, a front elevational view of one form of cabinet, in this case a phonograph cabinet, the changer supporting shelf being shown in its closed position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective showing, on an enlarged scale, of apparatus of the kind illustrated in FIG. 1, the changer supporting shelf appearing in full lines in its open position; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, shown on a considerably enlarged scale, the section being taken through the pivot structure as indicated by the line 33 applied to FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT In the illustrated apparatus the invention is shown as embodied in cabinet structure, particularly the cabinet of a phonograph of the tilt-down type. The cabinet is of generally box shape, in this case supported upon a pedestal 11, and encloses a support member or shelf l2 tiltably. mounted within the cabinet for movement between closed position, shown in FIG. 1, and open position (FIG. 2), in which the phonograph 13 is available for use. As will be understood, the cabinet 10 would also house mechanical and electrical components (not illustrated) required for operation of the record player, as well as control and indicating devices shown at 14. As clearly appears from FIGS. 2 and 3, the changer supporting shelf comprises a forward wall 15, substantially spanning the distance between a pair of confronting cabinet walls l6l6. The forward wall 15 lies substantially in the plane of the front face of the cabinet when in the closed position (FIGS. 1 and 3, and dotted line representation in FIG. 2), and extends sufficiently forwardly of the cabinet, when the shelf is tilted down, to expose the phonograph 13 for use. Wall structure 17 projects from the inside face of the forward wall 15 and is used to house the record changing mechanism. A motorboard 18 (FIG. 3) supports the changer. In the interest of clarity of illustration the changer is omitted from FIG. 3, but it will be understood that it would be mounted generally centrally of the motorboard, as is suggested by the reference line 19 and the fragmentary portion 20 of the phonograph spindle. It will be understood that central portions of the enclosure provided by the walls 15, 17 and 18 have been omitted from the drawing in order to shorten the same laterally.

In particular accordance with this invention, the pivot mechanism, which lies along the line 3-3 applied to FIG. 1, not only provides for raising and lowering of the changer shelf 12 but also affords three-dimensional adjustment of said shelf with respect to the cabinet. As will be understood from what follows, the arrangement is such that rotation of the pivot screws 21 and 22 provides for adjustment of the shelf in a direction parallel to the axis of pivotation, as is indicated by the arrow 23 applied to FIG. 3. In addition the construction is such as to provide for relative adjustment of the shelf and the pivot screws in directions transverse the axis of pivotation.

For these general purposes the combined pivot and adjustment means comprises internal thread means associated with confronting portions of the cabinet walls 16. As seen in FIG. 3, the walls 16 are apertured at 24, these apertures extending in general alignment with apertures 25 which extend through the opposed walls 17 of the changer support shelf. Internal thread means is associated with each of these apertures. In the particular embodiment illustrated, such means takes the form of two pairs of internally threaded sleeves or T-nuts, one pair being shown at 26a and 26b, and the other pair at 270 and 27b. It will be understood that, in its broader aspect, the invention contemplates provision of other forms of internally threaded means.

In the preferred and illustrated arrangement, nuts 26a and26b are each snugly fitted within one of the recesses 24, a press fit being one way to prevent inadvertent rotation of the nuts with respect to the apertures 24. The apertures 25 which are provided in opposed walls 17 of the changer shelf are larger than the outside diameter of the T-nuts 27a and 27b which fit therein. Each of the bolts 21 and 22 carries a head which, when the assembly is completed, reacts against the inside surface of the walls 17, through the agency of washers shown at 28.

In assembling the apparatus the T-nuts 26a and 26b are first fitted within the recesses 24 of confronting walls 16, after which the similarly shaped T-nuts 27a and 27b are partially assembled by disposing them loosely within the oversize bores provided at 25. With the changer support shelf in its general position between the two side walls 16-16 of the cabinet, the bolts 21 and 22 are turned inwardly into the threads of nuts 27a and 27b to engage nuts 26a and 26b. The positioning procedure is considered in detail below.

In a representative embodiment which has yielded good results, the outside diameter of the T-nuts 27a and 27b was 0.306 inch, while the bore or recess 25, within which the nut extends, had a diameter of 0.359 inch. Thus considerable clearance is providedbetween the T-nuts 27a and 27b and the apertures within which they are received, making it possible to adjust the changer support shelf as by raising or lowering it, or by bringing it forward or positioning it backward. In final assembly of the apparatus the desired lateral clearance between the support shelf and the adjacent walls 16 is established by moving the shelf in the direction of arrows 23, by turning the bolts 21 and 22. With the lateral clearance established in this way, and with the changer shelf first in closed position, the shelf is adjusted transversely of the axis of the pivots provided by bolts 21 and 22, which can readily be done within the limits afforded by the clearance. When the shelf has been raised or lowered, or brought forward or backward, a distance sufficient to align it properly so that it lies in the plane of the cabinet front, and is properly registered with the cabinet aperture, the desired relative position of the shelf and the bolts is established by tightening each of the T-nuts 27a and 27 b to clamp the walls 17 between the T-nut flanges 29 and the washers 28. This is done using a wrench inserted between confronting walls 16 and 17, and engaged with flanges 29.

With the proper relative position of the shelf and cabinet thus established, the required pivotal movements of the shelf take place by slight rotation of the bolts with respect to the cabinet-carried T-nuts 26a and 26b. Preferably, with both bolts threaded in the same sense, one bolt turns clockwise, and the other counterclockwise, as the door swings between its two positions. This prevents any binding, or flexing of cabinet walls, during the swinging movements of the changer. In the illustrated embodiment, V4- 20 bolts have been used with good results. Such bolts permit the required quarter turn without appreciable lateral deregistration of the shelf in the cabinet opening.

I claim: V

1. In combination with cabinet structure having a shelf-like support member mounted therein for movement between a retracted position, in which it is stored within the structure and forms a portion of the wall thereof, and an operative position in which it extends at least partially from said structure, combined hinging and adjustment means pivotally mounting said support member with freedom for the mentioned movements and affording adjustment of said member with respect to the cabinet structure, to provide for proper alignment of the structure and member, said combined means comprising: internally threaded means associated with confronting wall portions of said support member and said cabinet structure, the internally threaded means associated with the walls of said support member being relatively movable with respect to said member in directions transverse the axis of pivotation of said hinging means; a pair of externally threaded screw members each of which is threadedly engaged with the internally threaded means of the confronting wall portions of both said support member and said cabinet structure, the construction and arrangement being such that rotation of said screw members provides for adjustment of the support member in the direction of the axis of pivotation, and relative movement between said support member and the internally threaded means associated therewith adjusts said support member in directions transverse said axis of pivotation; and means for clamping the walls of said support members with respect to the internally threaded means associated therewith.

2. Cabinet structure including pivot apparatus for mounting a base member on a cabinet with freedom for movement from a retracted position, generally flush with the cabinet, to an operative position in which it extends at least partially from the cabinet, said base member having wall structure defining a pair of spaced opposed walls, and said cabinet having a pair of spaced confronting walls each disposed in proximate relationship with a corresponding one of the opposed walls of said base member, said confronting and opposed walls being provided with apertures disposed in general alignment, said pivot apparatus affording threedimensional adjustment of said member with respect to said cabinet, and comprising: -a pair of internally threaded T-nuts each snugly received within the aperture of a corresponding one of said spaced confronting walls; a second pair of internally threaded T-nuts each of which is loosely received within the aperture of a corresponding one of said opposed walls, to provide for adjustment of said latter T-nuts with respect to said opposed walls; and a pair of externally threaded screw members each having a head portion disposed to react against the wall structure of said base member, each tions.

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1. In combination with cabinet structure having a shelf-like support member mounted therein for movement between a retracted position, in which it is stored within the structure and forms a portion of the wall thereof, and an operative position in which it extends at least partially from said structure, combined hinging and adjustment means pivotally mounting said support member with freedom for the mentioned movements and affording adjustment of said member with respect to the cabinet structure, to provide for proper alignment of the structure and member, said combined means comprising: internally threaded means associated with confronting wall portions of said support member and said cabinet structure, the internally threaded means associated with the walls of said support member being relatively movable with respect to said member in directions transverse the axis of pivotation of said hinging means; a pair of externally threaded screw members each of which is threadedly engaged with the internally threaded means of the confronting wall portions of both said support member and said cabinet structure, the construction and arrangement being such that rotation of said screw members provides for adjustment of the support member in the direction of the axis of pivotation, and relative movement between said support member and the internaLly threaded means associated therewith adjusts said support member in directions transverse said axis of pivotation; and means for clamping the walls of said support members with respect to the internally threaded means associated therewith.
 2. Cabinet structure including pivot apparatus for mounting a base member on a cabinet with freedom for movement from a retracted position, generally flush with the cabinet, to an operative position in which it extends at least partially from the cabinet, said base member having wall structure defining a pair of spaced opposed walls, and said cabinet having a pair of spaced confronting walls each disposed in proximate relationship with a corresponding one of the opposed walls of said base member, said confronting and opposed walls being provided with apertures disposed in general alignment, said pivot apparatus affording three-dimensional adjustment of said member with respect to said cabinet, and comprising: a pair of internally threaded T-nuts each snugly received within the aperture of a corresponding one of said spaced confronting walls; a second pair of internally threaded T-nuts each of which is loosely received within the aperture of a corresponding one of said opposed walls, to provide for adjustment of said latter T-nuts with respect to said opposed walls; and a pair of externally threaded screw members each having a head portion disposed to react against the wall structure of said base member, each said screw member further being threaded within and passing through a corresponding one of said loosely fitted T-nuts and being threadedly received in a corresponding one of said snugly received T-nuts, and said screw members being so threaded that one turns clockwise and the other counterclockwise, as said base member moves between its retracted and operative positions. 